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Friday, August 10, 2012

Sepia Saturday: My One and Only

Sepia Saturday challenges
bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

The obvious focus of this week’s Sepia Saturday photo
prompt is the bicycle. Next to that
first automobile, a first bike generates the most vivid memories.

I was rather old for a first bike, probably 8 or 9. No training wheels for me – too big for
that. Helmet? Oh pish posh – the concern for children’s
safety was many years away. There weren’t
enough head injuries and lawsuits yet to warrant such a thing.

My bike might have been a gift from my Grandma and
Granddaddy Davis, but I don’t really remember.
I can remember bike shopping with them though. We went to a hardware store where there were
rows and rows of colorful bikes. Schwinn
was the only name I had heard of. Yes, I
should have a Schwinn.

But that’s not what I got.

Me with my patient Granddaddy Davis

My first bike was a 20” Rollfast, green fenders with
white pinstripes. My granddaddy must
have drawn the short straw because he is the one who put in the effort to help
me learn to ride. My grandparents’ large
grassy yard made a good practice field. Day
after day, Granddaddy held onto that seat and ran alongside as I pedaled and
pedaled and struggled to stay balanced.
If he let go, I panicked and promptly toppled over.

Remnants of the ball field -- the backstop is there
but the snack bar and dugouts are gone.from Google Maps

Sometimes we went across the street to the Little League
ball field where I “rode the bases.”

My
parents and grandparents,

who all were worn out trying to teach me to ride a bike,
thought maybe flat dry dirt would be easier to ride on than on grass. But no.
It was just harder when I fell, which I did a lot.

But I remember the moment when I finally “got it.” Granddaddy was holding the back of the seat,
like always, running alongside. As I
made the turn at the corner of the yard and headed back, there was Granddaddy IN
FRONT of me back at the starting point. Look
at me go! I was riding a bike!

Ahhh -- I can still see that little green bike.

Because it’s in my garage!!

I can’t part with it.
It’s my first bike. It’s my only
bike. (By the time I was big enough for
a bigger bike, I had lost interest.) The
handle bars are rusted. The tires are
dry-rotted. The leather seat is
chipped. I know -- it's silly.

from Google Images

I had thought about hanging it on a wall as art. But even I can see that my precious little
Rollfast has no artistic merit. It’s not
like it carried me into the medals ceremony at the Olympics.

from Google Images

I’ve also considered using it as garden art. My Rollfast might make a pretty good trellis
for Morning Glory or Clematis.

In the meantime it's a home to spiders and memories of my granddaddy running.

Great story—and memories! I have to say that I absolutely love that picture of you with your Grandpa!

My first "big kid" bike was pink and white. It had a white wicker basket in the front and a banana seat. I think it's great that you kept yours. Mine is still in my parents' garage, but I would love to have it with me here. :)

Oh yes, I've ridden a bike as an adult - just don't own one. I've ridden my husband's or daughters' bikes. Where I live, you can bike around the neighborhood, but it's too dangerous to be on the main roads although people do it. I just don't trust the drivers!

I am just amazed that you still have your first bike. You probably enjoy looking at and remembering just as much as you enjoyed riding it. Now it's given all your readers yet more entertainment! I like the idea of hanging it on a wall and I love the color!

Aw - you still have your bike! I like the garden art idea... although it will rust a lot more. Makes me want to go look through pictures to see if there is one of me on my first bike. (kathy at abbieandeveline.com)

A super story! My first bike was similar but used and never survived. In our neighborhood there is a front garden which I call the house of dead Barbies and bicycles, as the planting beds are decorated with rusty old bikes and mutilated dolls.

What a great story Wendy! I can't believe you actually still have your first bike! That's awesome! I don't even remember what color my first bike was...I know, pretty lame. I do remember having a bike, whether my first or not, with a little basket in the front. I'd put my little terrier dog in it and take her for a ride. Do you remember clothes-pinning cards to your spokes to make that "oh-so-cool" sound as you rode around the neighborhood?

My first bike did not survive for very long - it's fixed wheel contributed to my many crashes. My last but one bike gaot run over by a coalman's wagon; he replaced with an old upright 'sit up and beg' style ladies cycle with a wicker basket on the handlebars. I wasn't very keen on being seen riding it. Great story Wendy. I'm not at all surprised that you still have your bike especially as it has it's own stand.

I bet you could roll fast with it too! It looks much like my first bike as well (which I don't have) and it was deep blue, but I don't think I've ever heard of a rollfast. It certainly has held up well...it's a treasure!

I like this idea for a post. I used to love my bike. Like you I got my first bike when I was probably about 9. My sister and I each got similar models on the same Christmas. Favorite pastimes were to go on bike tours or take bike hikes. In the early sixties my parents weren't particularly worried when we'd be gone for hours. A favorite game with some of the neighborhood kids was "Pony Express" which was sort of a relay race with our bikes, except there were really no winners--we'd just ride until we were too tired to ride anymore.

Loved your story Wendy. I never owned a bike. I did learn to ride on the boy next door's bike. It made it pretty hard for a girl to learn on a boy's bike but I did. Well I did own one as an adult but that is nothing like have one at 8 or 9.QMM

A wonderful story and so cleverly told Wendy. For some reason I was never allowed a bike as a child and had to borrow from friends, but the story of running alongside a child who is learning to ride is very familiar (though it wasn't me doing the running).

What sweet memories to have of your patient grandfather teaching you to ride a bike. Think it's great that you still have it. If you have an outside porch and a place to hang it on the wall, I'd do it. Now that I'm almost antique myself(50's not far away), I find comfort in displaying special items of mine or older family members that bring to mind happy memories of long ago.

Love your story!! As a young child, I first had the typical red and white tricycle, than quickly graduated to a sturdy one, deep turquoise I seem to recall, where neighbor kids could climb behind and off we went!! My first bike was around 8 or 9 too!! My mom gave it to me, told me not to cross the street and that was that... But when those tiny wheels came off, she hang around to see how I was doing and was satisfied, but she was loathed to let me cross the streets to go to the park. A kid can only go around the block for so long... It's as an adult that I had my worst falls. Once, there was that street where a train track crossed it at an angle. My bike decided to follow the track while I flew over, following the street instead. I split my chin open and bled profusely. Cops saw this, but offered absolutely no help at all. Typical!!! I later sold my bike, unhappy with the conditions in the city for cyclists. Nowadays, things have changed as we have now many bike paths, but I don't wish to bike again. I have enough mileage to last me a lifetime!!;)~ HUGZ

Oh yes, I remember those bigger trikes -- always fun to stand behind and hang on. I'm surprised you're not more of a bike enthusiast because your city looks like a great place to enjoy at a slower pace. Then again, if I had a terrible fall that involved blood, I wouldn't ride again either.

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About Me

My name is Wendy. About twenty years ago, I helped my mother research the Jolletts. Since retiring from teaching, I have expanded my research which I share here. When I’m not looking for my own family, I index for FamilySearch and the Greene County Historical Society.
Welcome to Jollett Etc. Please leave a comment to let me know you were here. If you have more information or believe we are related, EMAIL ME at wendymath at cox dot net